WASHINGTON D.C., August 4, 2011 (by Ramaa Reddy Raghavan, Huff Post): The Hindu America Seva Charities (HASC) held its first-ever White House conference entitled ‘Dharmic Seva: Catalyst to strengthening and building pluralistic communities on July 29. The group under the leadership of Anju Bhargava, aims to mobilize the Hindu American community around public service.
Bhargava greeted attendees and said, “We are here today to energize our seva efforts and start seva centers that address the needs of the community. Our practice of Sanatana Dharma, yoga and worship strengthens the individual to carry out seva in an American context. As the Gita says, ‘Service given without consideration is regarded as a nature of goodness.”
Hosted by the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the conference brought together representatives from different religious faiths and private and public institutions to promote interfaith dialogue on variety of topics; the salient ones being to erase poverty, engage youth service, promote yoga and environmental awareness and conservation.
Ravi Chaudhary, Commander, and one of 15 Hindu American service-men and woman present spoke about the many contributions Hindu’s have made to the armed forces. The initiative, ‘Joining Forces’ begun by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, was emphasized. It’s a call for everyone to reach out, connect and support military families by pledging service hours, sending thank-you notes and starting volunteer activities.
President Barack Obama has applauded a Hindu American group for advancing public service, interfaith collaboration and pluralism, as the organisation made its White House debut by holding a community briefing there. “Guided by a commitment to lifting up the lives of others, organisations like Hindu American Seva Charities (HASC) demonstrate the compassion of the American people and reflect our capacity to unite and address the challenges facing our world,” Obama said in a message to the 2nd annual conference of the HASC.